


Eeyore's Birthday

by Small_Hobbit



Category: Winnie-the-Pooh - A. A. Milne
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-07-08 14:28:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15932342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: Tigger has an idea, and much to everyone's surprise, it works out well.





	Eeyore's Birthday

**Author's Note:**

  * For [spinning_yarns](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spinning_yarns/gifts).



“I think,” began Tigger.

Everyone looked at him in a slightly worried fashion.  It was generally agreed that whenever Tigger had an idea it ended up badly for not only Tigger, but anyone else in the vicinity.

“Go on,” said Rabbit cautiously.

Tigger was completely oblivious to the level of doubt around him.  “I think we should do something for Eeyore’s birthday.”

“Is it his birthday?” Piglet asked.

“It must be,” Tigger replied.  “He had one sort of this time last year, and since it’s sort of this time now, it has to be his birthday.”

Winnie-the-Pooh nodded.  It made sense to him.  “What are we going to do?”

“Have a party.  We could play …”

Rabbit interrupted, “If you say musical bumps I shall be elsewhere.  Probably the next county.  Smaller hasn’t recovered from last time yet.”

“That was an accident.”

“It would have happened to me, too,” said Piglet, “if Kanga hadn’t rescued me in time.”

“There are other games, you know,” Tigger said and gave an almost huff.  Tigger was too irrepressible to have a proper sulk, but there were times when he felt a tad unappreciated.

“Which ones?” asked Pooh.

“Hide and seek.”

“That one never works because you don’t stay hidden for more than ten seconds,” Rabbit said.

“And it’s very frightening when you find someone and shout ‘Boo!’” Piglet added.  He took Pooh’s paw to give himself some reassurance.

“Blind man’s bluff, musical chairs, hunt the whatever it is you have to hunt,” Tigger said.

“I like pass the parcel,” Piglet suggested.

“Why don’t we tell Christopher Robin that Eeyore is having a birthday party and we’d like him to organise the games,” Pooh said.  “He could play his redorcker for the music.”

“That’s a good idea,” Rabbit replied.  “And you mean recorder.”

“Then there’s that other game,” Tigger said, “Um, pin the tail on the …”  He stopped, realised the others were all looking at him strangely, and said, “well, maybe not.”

“Let’s go and tell Christopher Robin,” Piglet said.

“What, now?” Pooh asked.

“Yes, because if Eeyore’s birthday is sort of this time now, then we need to get on with it.”

“Oh, I thought there’d be time for me to stop for a little something,” Pooh said.

“If we do that then it will soon be time for lunch, and we’ll have hardly any time before you stop for your afternoon little something,” Rabbit said firmly.

“Oh, all right then.”  And Pooh set off with Piglet, Rabbit and Tigger to find Christopher Robin.

They found Christopher Robin leaning against a tree, whistling.

Tigger bounced up and said, “There’s going to be a party.  You’re doing the games.”

Christopher Robin blinked.

Rabbit hurried up to explain.  “We’re going to give Eeyore a birthday party, and we’d like you to organise the games.”

“Ones which are safe for us to play,” Piglet added.

“That’s a splendid idea,” Christopher Robin said.  “Of course, I’ll make sure the games are safe for everybody, Piglet.  When is the party going to be?”

“This afternoon!” Tigger said.

“How about tomorrow afternoon instead?” Christopher Robin said.  “I shall need time to plan the games and write them all down in a list.  And if we have it tomorrow, I can bring little pink cakes as well.  Does Eeyore know about the party?”

“Not yet,” said Pooh.  “It’s a surprise party!”

“Um,” said Piglet, and then stopped, looking embarrassed.

“Yes, Piglet,” said Christopher Robin kindly.  “What did you want to say?”

“Could-we-have-decorations?  You see, I like decorations,” Piglet replied.

“Excellent idea, perhaps you could make them tomorrow morning.”

They all agreed that they would do this, and each of them went back to their own home to plan what they would make.

***

The next morning Pooh called on Piglet, and then Pooh and Piglet called on Rabbit.  Rabbit had found some paper bunting which had been pushed in a box marked ‘just in case’.  The bunting was rather faded, but Rabbit said he was sure they could do something with it.  So Pooh, Piglet, Rabbit and the bunting went to call on Tigger.

Tigger had collected several half pots of paint from Kanga, which Roo no longer wanted, and he brought them out so everyone could use them.  Tigger thought he could use his tail to paint with, but after he’d dipped it in the pot he discovered he couldn’t control it sufficiently and only succeeded in painting a red stripe along the grass.  He then turned round several times trying to catch his tail, which made a lovely red spiral, but the tail was still out of Tigger’s reach.  Finally, Rabbit caught the tail and dipped it into a pot of water to clean it.  Since this had made Tigger’s tail wet, he suggested Tigger go for a long bounce to dry it off.

While Tigger was on his long bounce, the others set about painting the bunting.  Pooh made different coloured paw prints on some of the flags, being careful to wash his paws every time he changed colour.  Piglet found some suitable little stones and made patterns by dipping the stones in the paint.  By the time Tigger returned the bunting had been hung up to dry.

“It’s beautiful,” Tigger said.

Shortly afterwards Christopher Robin arrived, carrying a tin of little pink cakes and his recorder.  “Where are we holding the party?” he asked.  “Someone will need to go and tell Eeyore where it is.”

“Since it’s a surprise party,” said Pooh.  “Why don’t we surprise Eeyore by taking the party to him.”

“That’s a very good idea, Pooh Bear,” Christopher Robin said.

So they set off for the thistle patch.  There they found Eeyore debating which thistle to eat next.  Rabbit and Piglet tied the bunting to a nearby hedge, and Christopher Robin began to play his recorder.

“Very nice,” said Eeyore.  “I assume you’re expecting company.  Just let me know if I’m in the way, and I’ll go somewhere else.”

“It’s a surprise party,” Tigger said.

“Oh!” said Eeyore.

“Ouch!” said Tigger, who’d just bounced on a thistle.  “For you.”

“A party for me?” Eeyore said.  “All of it?”

“Yes,” said Piglet.  “We painted the bunting especially for you.”

Eeyore went over and examined the bunting.  Some of Pooh’s paw prints had run slightly, but Eeyore didn’t seem to mind.  “It’s very pretty,” he said.  “All blue and yellow and green.  No red though.”

“No,” said Pooh.  “Tigger used his tail to paint the grass red and there wasn’t any left for the bunting.”

“That’s all right,” said Eeyore.  “I like blue and yellow and green.”

“There are buns for everybody too,” Rabbit said.

“And we’re going to play games,” Tigger added, bouncing excitedly.

“Oh dear,” said Eeyore.  “I was afraid of that.”

“The first game,” Christopher Robin announced, “is Hunt the Dandelion Clock.  Tigger, you are to bounce around to find a dandelion clock and we shall call hotter or colder depending on how close you get to the one I have chosen.  Then, when you get there, you pick the dandelion and bring it to us to blow.”

Cheerfully, Tigger bounced off.  As might be expected, by the time he’d found a dandelion clock and bounced back with it, all the seeds had blown away, so he had to bounce off to find another one.  This was a great game, which Tigger enjoyed immensely.  Finally, Rabbit picked a dandelion and carried it back.  Piglet blew the seeds off, and Pooh counted the number of puffs, and when he had finished said it was tea time, and Tigger was declared the winner.

They ate the little pink cakes, and then it was time to go home.

“Thank you for my party,” Eeyore said.

“We’ll have another one for you next year,” Tigger replied.

“Oh, good!” Eeyore said.  “I should just about have recovered from the excitement by then.”

Pooh and Piglet walked back home together.  “Do you think Eeyore enjoyed his party?” Pooh asked.

“Oh yes,” Piglet said.  “In his own way.”

 


End file.
